The present invention relates to a belt conveyor and is particularly directed to a belt conveyor structure capable of being folded sideways in a horizontal plane.
Conventional conveyors having endless belts mounted for travel over and about drive and idler rolls journalled in a supporting rigid steel framework usually are shortened by folding in a vertical plane about a horizontal pivot in order to fold the belt transversely to the longitudinal axis of the belt. This necessitates the need for a cable or hydraulic mechanism for elevating the belt and supporting structure through a vertical plane both for folding the structure for storage or transportation and for extending the structure for use.
It is known to extend and retract sections of belt conveyors by horizontal swinging movement of conveyor frame components about vertical pivots. However, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,635 issued May 15, 1962, separate endless conveyor belts are independently mounted for movement in each frame component necessitating a separate drive or connecting drive between components to drive each of the endless belts at a common linear speed.